Vertical filing device



APY@ 9p l929 D. E. HUNTER Lm? VERTICAL FILING DEVI CE Filed Jan. 11, 1.928

64M. Y L%jz Patented Apr. 9, i929.

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DAVID E. HUNTER, 0F MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 SHAW WALKER COM- PANY, OF MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN, A (FORJPORATIGN 03F MICHIGAN.

VERTICAL ritme Janvier.

Application filed January 11, 1928. Serial No. 245,866.

VThis invention relates to improvements in drawer construction for vertical filing devices, and more particularly to a novel arrangement of partition plates .within a drawer or like receptacle for vertical filing devices, and adapted to divide the space therein into a series of separate tiling compartments. Y

The object of the invention 1s to provlde a simple and practical Inountlng for the partition plates, whereby the same may be readily assembledwithin the drawer.

A further object of the invention 1s to provide a mounting for the partition plates adapted for installation in drawers or filing receptacles already in use, and previously equipped with the slid-ing follower plate..

A preferred embodlment of my invention 1s disclosed in the accompanyingdi-awlngs, 1n which g Figure l is a view in longitudinal section through a -drawer or container embodying the features of the invention.

Figure 2 is a view in vertical transverse section taken on line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a section of the channel track and the lower portion of the plate in position for assembly.

Figure 4 is a view in transverse vertical section through a container showing a modified plate installation, and I Figure 5 is a view in, longltudlnal sectlon taken on line 5- 5 of Figure 4.

In general, the invention embodies a' series of sti plates l, spaced apart at predetermined intervals throughout the length of a drawer A or other filing receptacles, these plates assuming a general vertical position transversely or crosswise of the drawer, and so mounted that they are capable of swinging forwardlyV` and rearwardly through a limited are, but held against bodily displacement in both directions.

v 'The features of the present invention, however, are directed to specific means for mounting the partition plate within a drawer or container.

The drawer A, which may also represent any receptacle or container used for the vertical iiling of records, cards, correspondence and the like, is preferably of a sheet-metal construction consisting ofa front wall or head 2 of a double-wall constructiomside walls 3, 3, a rear wall 4 and a bottom wall 5, all except the front wall being of a single thickness of sheet-metal. The details of construction of the drawer are not important, except that the bottom ot' the drawer is preferably provided with a central longitudinal channel 5 of say 3 or 4 inches in width and 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch in depth. Along the sides of the bottom wall are also narrow channels 5b, 5b of the same depth.

The partition plates l consist of rectangular pieces of sheet-metal of sufficient thickness to be stiff and non-yielding, their shape and size conforming'generally to the cross-sec tional contour of the drawer, that is, their height is such that their top vedges are slightly below the top edges of the side Walls 3, 3 or just below the top edges of the filed material, and their width is slightly less than the inside width of the drawer, so there is sufiicicnt clearness between the vertical edges of the plates and the side walls 3, 3 to -allow the plates to swing freely.

At the lower edge of each plate 1 and midway between its side edges is spot welded a supporting or carriage plate 6, of about the same thickness as the partition plate itself. In mounting the carriageplate to the partition plate the latter is preferably upsetto provide a. recess for the carriage plate, as shown in Figure 2, so that the exposed surface is flush with, the corresponding face of the partition plate. The lower portion of the carriage plate 6 proj ectsbelow the lower edge of the partition plate in the form of two depending tongues or lugs 6, 6a of about 1/2 inch in length at each end of the plate', these tongues-being adapted to project into the central channel 5 in the bottom wall of the drawer adjacent the side Walls thereof, and to engage a plate-supporting member now` to be described. p

Extending longitudinallyof the channel 5 andfsecured therein is aI plate-supporting track member 7 consisting of a strip of metal bent to form an inverted U-shaped body portion 7a including vertical ianges 7 b, 7b terminating in laterally. extending marginal lflanges 7, 7, bottom of the channel 5a with their edges in substantially abutting contact 1 vwith the side walls of said channel.- The-width of body portion?a ofthe track 7', measured over loo y which bear upon the ll() l 5c along the edges of the main or central channel 5a. In other words, the track 7 converts the single wide channel into the two narrow channels 5, 5, with the top surface of the track body 7*1 substantially flush with the sections of the bottom wall on either side of the channel 5, as shown in Figure 2.

At predetermined and preferably equal distances apart along the track 7 are pairs of slots 8, 8, the slots of each pair occupying corresponding positions directl opposite cach other at the edges of the trac More-specifically, each slot consists of three connected portions extending generally in a'tra'nsverse and vertical direction, and consisting of a s central vertical portion 8 formedin the side wall of the track body 7 a and two end portions 8b and 8, one extendlng inwardly into the top wall of said track body 7 a from the upper end of the vertical portion 8, and the other extending outwardly into the flange 7b from the lower end of the vertical portion 8,

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, each of the plates straddles the track'with the projecting tongues 6, 6 of the carriage plate 6 extending downwardly into the slots 8, the inner edge portions of the tongues engaging the upper portions 8b of the slots, and their lower edges clearing the bottom of the channel n. By this arrangement the plates are free to fulcrum on their lower edges on the top surface of the track body 7 a, and the tongues 6 depending freely into the slots 8 with their severalportions disposed as aboveset forth. By reason of this arrangement a substantial portion of each tongue along lts inner edge projects laterally through the slots 8 and lies exterior to the channel 5c, there being small-'holes 6* punched in these projecting portions of the tongues through which are inserted key wires 9, the holes on opposite sides of the track being in alignment with each other so that the key wires can be made of sufficient length to pass through all of the plates and thus lock them to the track. rllhe key wires are merely,

lengths of wire with a crook or bend 9 at one end, and after inserting the wires through thev holes the other end is bent over as at 9b, thus preventing the wires from being withdrawn.

Y'lhese key wires are positioned within the space included by the body portionof the track, and thus are concealed from view and otherwise isolated so as not to interfere with the contents of the drawer or container. lf desired, separate key wires or even cotter pins can be inserted through the holes in each tongue instead of the long key wires shown.

Figures 4 and 5 show a modification of the construction,hereinbefore described, wherein the central channel is eliminated in the bottom of the drawer although the side channels 5E are retained. Bearing in mind that the presence of the central channel is standard in drawers equipped with a follower plate, the modified type of drawer would be suitable for 'tending transversely of said @i Noam? initial installations utilizing the partition plates, whereas the previously described construction would be particularly adaptable to drawers in which the follower-plate installation had been used or originally constructed for its installation. f

Hence with the omission of the central channel, the track plate 7 is also omitted and the side channels 5b, 5" now serve the same function as the channels 5, 5"y in the above described construction, with slots l() similar in all respects to the slots 8 in the track plate 7, being formed along the inner edges of the channels 5", 5b. The design of the plates ll is modified to correspond with the location ot'. the slot 10, namely, by forming tongues 1l, 111L at the extreme ends of the lower edge ol' the plate. These tongues moreover may be integral with the plate, thus eliminating the carriage plate, if desired. The same arrangement of key wires and holes is used as before to lock the plates to the bottom ot the drawer. The plates may fulcruin either on the bottom wall of the container with the lower edges of the .tongues clearing the bottoms of the channels or vice versa, that is, with the tongues bearing on the bottoms of the channels and the intermediate lower edge of the plates clearing the bottom wall of the drawer as shown. Either arrangement is satisfactory since the plates are free to swing in both directions in either case, but'are limited by the contact between the tongues and the edges of the slots which act as stops.

Having indicated a number of possible types of construction, all embodying the invention, l do not wish to be limited to any specific device except in so far as set forth in the appended claims.

lfclaim:

1. ln a tilin device, the combination of a O container, a plate adapted to extend trans versely of said container and supported in substantially upright position therein, said container having a longitudinal channel 1n its bottom wall and a transverse slot formed in one side wall of said channel, said plate having a tongue adapted to depend into said channel and engage said slot with a portion extending laterallyl through said wall outside of the channel and a fastening member passing through the extended portion of said tongue.

Q. ln a filing device, the combination of a container having a bottom wall provided with a pair of parallel channels extending lengthwise thereof, and a pair of slots ex-v channels and intersecting one wall of each channel including portions of the horizontal wall portions adjacent thereto, a plate extending transversely of said container and provided at its lower edge with a pair of tongues adapted to extend into said channels with portions thereof included in said slots and extending amaai? 3 laterally outside of said channels, andfa'stening members inserted through holes in the laterally extendedv portions -of saidm. tongues.V

3. In a filing device the combination of a container having a bottom wall provided with a central channel extending lengthwise thereof, a track member of inverted U-section secured in said channel, the vertical walls of said trackvmember being spaced inwardly from the adjacent walls of said central channel to form a pair `of relatively. narrow parallel channels, said track member having a pair of transverse slots including each side wall and a portion of the top wall adjacent thereto, a plate extending transversely of said container and provided at its lower edge with projecting tongues adapted to extend into said last-mentioned channels, and through said slots, and fastening members passing through portions of said tongues exterior to said last-mentioned channels.

4. In a filing device, the combination of a sheet-metal container having a bottom wall provided with a pair of relatively narrow lll-shaped parallel channels extending the length thereof, a series of plates adapted to extend transversely of said container in substantially upright position to divide the space in said container into a pluralityof compartments, and .to rest at their lower edges on said. bottom wall, said plates having tongues extending beyond their lower edges and spaced apart to register` with said channels, and with pairs of transverse slots sub- A stantially wider than the thickness of said tongues, and cut in said bottom wall to include one side of each channel and portions of the bottom wall adjacent thereto, said slots coacting with said tongues to permit a limited angular swinging movement of said plates.

5. ln a tiling device, the combination of a sheetmetal container having a bottom wall provided with a pair of relatively narrow U- shaped parallel channels extending the lengthv thereof, a series of plates adapted to extend transversely of said container in substantially upright position to divide the space in said container into a plurality of compartments,-

and to rest at their lower edges on said bottom wall, said plates having tongues extending beyond thelr lower edges and adapted to extend into said channels and between the edges of pairs of transverse slots formed in said bottom wall to include a side of each channel, said slots acting to permit .said plates to swing through an arc of predetermined extentand allow portions of said tongues to extend laterally from said channels, and key wires adapted to be inserted through aligned holes formed in the laterally extending portions of said tongues. i

6. lin a filing device, the combination of a container having an upwardly facing longitudinal channel at its bottom provided with a slot in one side wall thereof, a plate supported at its lower edge in substantially upright position on the bottom of said container, a tongue projecting from the lower edge ofsaid plate and adapted to extend into said channel with a portion, thereof extend: ing laterally through said slot and beyond said channel, and a fastening member passingithrough said laterally extended portion of said tongue,

Signed at Muskegon, Mich., this 5th day of January 1928. l

havin n.. HUNTER. 

